Soft sided insulated containers have become popular for carrying either articles that may best be served cool, such as beverages or salads, or warm, such as appetizers, hot dogs, and so on. Such containers are frequently used to carry liquids, whether hot liquids, such as soup containers, coffee or tea, or cold liquids such as beer, soft drinks, or other carbonated beverages, juices and milk. The containers are typically made in a generally cube-like or rectangular parallelpiped shape, whether of sides of equal length or not, having a base, four upstanding walls, and a top. The top is generally a lid which opens to permit articles to be placed in, or retrieved from, the container.
While soft sided containers are, in general, quite convenient, the flexible structure may not provide adequate protection for items stored within the container. For example, sandwiches or other non-durable items may become crushed or squished when the container is carried or otherwise transported. It may be desirable that other objects that may be carried in a cooler, such as, for example, egg sandwiches or cucumber sandwiches, or items of a similar nature for a picnic, be kept cool before being eaten. Alternatively, if one has warmed canapes or hors d'oeuvres, it may be desirable that those appetizers be kept warm until served. However, such items as sandwiches or pastries may tend not to be overly amenable to immersion in water, and, even if placed in a supposedly waterproof bag or plastic container may tend to become damp or clammy. Further, sandwiches or appetizers tend not to be particularly resilient, and once squashed may tend not to return to their former state.
To alleviate this problem, a rigid insert such as a plastic receptacle, which may conform to the interior walls of the soft sided container, may be used to impart structural rigidity to the soft side container. Alternatively, as proposed herein, the various wall panels of the container may be provided with relatively stiff shields, or reinforcements, that while somewhat flexible, may be less prone to being squashed than, for example, a side panel whose stiffness is more strongly dependent a relatively soft layer of insulating foam. As a result of this increased rigidity, items placed within the rigid insert may be less apt to be affected by bumps or other forces applied to the soft sided container.
Further still, in soft sided coolers heretofore, the closure of the lid has tended to depend on the closing of a zipper, often a zipper running around three sides of a rectangle, with the fourth side being hinged. The lid may rest on a foam lip or bead. When a container of this nature falls over, its resistance to the spilling of liquid through the closure may not be as effective as might be desired. It might be advantageous to have a somewhat tighter seal, such as might be made by stiffer materials in an interference fit. A soft-sided panel would not normally be sufficiently stiff to achieve such a seal. The use of a seal in this nature might also permit the elimination of the main peripheral zipper of the main closure of the container. The elimination of the need to use a zipper to obtain access to the contents of the container may itself be considered an advantage. Some users may prefer not to fiddle with zippers, and may prefer a simpler release apparatus.
Further, it may be advantageous to provide a mounting for a thermal storage device, such as an ice pack or an exothermic package, that could be carried in the container. It would be advantageous for the thermal storage element to be removable, to permit it to be re-frozen in the freezer or refrigerator, or reheated, or recharged, as the case may be. Alternatively, it may be desirable to be able to choose between a number of various positions for the thermal storage element, depending on what might be carried in the insulated container. That is, in some cases it might be desirable to have the thermal storage element below objects in the insulated, sometimes above, and sometimes in the middle. Further still, it might be advantageous to be able to remove the thermal storage element from the insulated container entirely, and to use it as a flat surface upon which to serve or eat objects taken out of the container. This role might be advantageously enhanced by forming a recess, or recesses in the thermal storage element such as might be used as drink holders, or retainers for drinks or other objects, to prevent them from sliding in the event the surface is not precisely level (as may be the case on a picnic, or in a vehicle, or from spilling if jostled slightly, in the event the vehicle is moving). Further still, it may be advantageous to permit the thermal storage element to be held in the lids of the container when the container is open, to serve either of the above mentioned roles.